Download Squad

How many clicks does it take to make a Word document? Maybe we should ask Mr. Owl. You know, from the Tootsie-Pop commercial. Let's see one, two, three, four... Well, since Mr. Owl isn't around, and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (our fine four fendered friend) isn't so talkative and good with the math, I figured I would take a stab at it. If you have seen even screenshots of the Microsoft 2007 Office system will tell you that it is a bit different. Newbies, you may want to cover your ears at this point, but it's true. Office 2007 is totally rearranged, but this isn't a bad thing. It is weird that the toolbar (now called the ribbon) is fixed in place and much larger now, but the extra screen real-estate it gobbles up is well worth it. The strange new interface does save a lot of time. I actually hated the new layout right at first, mostly because it is so radically different than anything I had seen before. I don't usually resist change so hard like that, but suffice it to say that Office 2007 won me over and turned me into a hardcore fan of it's slick and time-saving features.

Microsoft actually went to lengths with this thing and just about eliminated the need for menus, while speeding up the document editing process. Today I will focus on Word, since most people use it more than the other applications. Most of the Office 2007 applications use nearly the same structure as Word for what Microsoft has dubbed the "Ribbon" interface, which has all but replaced dialog boxes. Once you get the idea in Word, you'll pretty much have it down for most of Office 2007. This brings up another good point, in that Microsoft was trying to eliminate the learning curve for new office users. Contrary to Microsoft's track record of bad releases, I think they really hit the nail on the head at least in the "no learning curve" department. In fact, I think it will take power users and IT pros longer to learn it than it will for newbies. Oh newbies, you can uncover your ears. Enough with the blah blah blah commentary, here is why you will love Word 2007:

TASK ONE: Changing document options

(can't view the video, click here)
As you can see, it takes only two clicks to change any of these options, where it used to take many more in Word 2000-2003. You can change margins, orientation, paper size, and add columns in a second or two. this used to take a lot longer, especially if you had to wait for the menu to load. how many clicks? Two per option, not to mention no waiting for any dialogs to load. The other advantage of 2007's ribbon is that it segregates all your editing functions into modes, so you can work more the way a human does, instead of the way the computer allows you to work. All editing is on the same tab (or panel) and all insertion is done on the same panel, as well as all reference, viewing, reviewing, and on it goes. Microsoft broke the mold here and dispensed with the "way it has been done" for ages to bring you something new, fresh and actually useful. yup, this means there are no more File, Edit, View, and Help menus. Everything is just there, right in front of you, no waiting. It plays a little more like a web app, using tabs and logically grouped icon sets, instead of hidden menus and archaic dialogs.

Tasks 2 and 3 after the jump....

TASK TWO: Text formatting

(can't view the video, click here)
As you can see from this clip, there are two ways to format text, but both are well thought out and very quick to use. The first is the ribbon menu at the top of the screen which offers all the formatting options on the same panel. The second is the right-click context menu that pops-up over text when you highlight it. This contains the spelling and other proofing options like older versions of Word, but the difference is the floating formatting panel that allows easier formatting, even cutting down on mouse travel time across the screen. The context menu is nice to have when you are using a different tab (other than formatting, like view or reference. This allows you to still format text without losing your train of thought or place in the editing process. I can't tell you the time this will save me, since I end up reviewing or tracking changes, and find a spelling error that I need to write down (big no-no in my world) and remember to go back and fix, to not interrupt the accept/reject changes routine. It is the simple little time-savers built into Word 2007 (and the other Office apps) that make it worth the $1.50 you may have spend, at least for the beta. Yes, kiddies, Microsoft will be making the world pay through the nose for this release, just like always. I dare say that you may just be getting your money's worth this time. It seems that document editing is becoming quite advanced, and do far I don't see OpenOffice, StarOffice, or any other viable alternative with anything close to the killer features Microsoft is proudly showcasing with this Beta. As far as I am concerned, the Beta is nearly complete in features and stability. I have only had Word crash once, but it automatically recovers all the documents that were open, as if it never had an error.

TASK THREE: Inserting and whiz-bang effects

(can't view the video, click here)
Inserting images or auto-shapes isn't really that hard in Word 2000-2003 either, but be honest now, how many times have you wished you didn't have to go find the option to "Insert, Picture, From File?" Now, if you click "Insert" then Picture, you are there. If you are already on the insert menu, it takes one click. That's it. After your picture gets inserted, the picture context menu automatically displays to allow any type of picture finishing option you could want. There are so many stylin' options, it would make a Mac user jealous. Again, no other Office suite I have used has powerful quick-and-dirty options like these.

The rest of Office 2007, including Excel, PowerPoint, and others is well laid-out and makes editing easier just like Word. One thing that I found incredible is that when I went to use PowerPoint and Excel after using Word for a while, I instinctively knew where everything was. No more switching gears to figure out each different application's options. Sure they each have vastly different icon sets, but nothing is hard to find, or hard to learn anymore. Microsoft may have hit a home run here, and could put the Office training CD-ROM people out of business.

I am really quite impressed by many of the thoughts and functions that went into this version of Office. The finishing options, and the way that everything is grouped into logical categories especially makes for less thinking about how to do things, and more about what you want. Microsoft 2007 Office system has made me a better, faster writer, and in my business, that is priceless.

For once, and unlike Internet Explorer 7, Microsoft is really putting the pressure on the little guys to beat them at their own game. I don't see it happening any time soon. Office 2007 puts Microsoft far ahead of the pack.